What's new

How States and Union Territories in India got their name?

@utraash @QARAMATIANS
I am a UPite but left to settle in maharashtra before the state was divided. I must say both of you are right in your own sense. Uttarakhand agitation was mainly by hill people and the people from plains or terai region related themselves more with the rest of UP and did not take part in Uttarakhand movement. However, when the new state was created some plain areas were also made part of it. Roorki is one such area. I have met many people from Roorki who are unhappy about the way they are treated by hill people and they said they feel suffocated. However, my personal experience with Kumaoni and Garhwali people has always been very friendly and affectionate and I still have many such friends and its very difficult for me to believe what people of Roorki and other plain areas of Uttarakhand told me. may be one off experiences have been exaggerated or could it really be true?
My district is Haridwar my current MP is Gharwali the earlier was Kumauni from 400 km away,all imp administrative post in my city is occupied is paharis while local people are posted in far off places like chamoli and rudraprayag where in some villages only older people lives.

while i am still waiting for the original capital for the state promised to the people (Lansdowne) :coffee:
 
Lol there is no divide between both but yeah govt does do partiality as vacancy open in hills area more often than plains as where is the vote bank is.



lol nothing just ended up in uttrakhand which was faced with lots of rigidness that time but now we are happy because law and order situation improved tremendously where our neighbor cities in UP are lol situation :rofl:
you guys wanted to be in UP... waaaaaat? :crazy:
happy to know you are progressing, pahari people are simple yet progressive.

My district is Haridwar my current MP is Gharwali the earlier was Kumauni from 400 km away,all imp administrative post in my city is occupied is paharis while local people are posted in far off places like chamoli and rudraprayag where in some villages only older people lives.

while i am still waiting for the original capital for the state promised to the people (Lansdowne) :coffee:
tell us some tiger stories mate.. grew up reading corbett.. :)
 
My district is Haridwar my current MP is Gharwali the earlier was Kumauni from 400 km away,all imp administrative post in my city is occupied is paharis while local people are posted in far off places like chamoli and rudraprayag where in some villages only older people lives.

while i am still waiting for the original capital for the state promised to the people (Lansdowne) :coffee:

where you live bro?

you guys wanted to be in UP... waaaaaat? :crazy:
happy to know you are progressing, pahari people are simple yet progressive.

bro it was us jaats as we saw as divide of our community as a whole in west UP so yeah they did but now we are happy.
 
you guys wanted to be in UP... waaaaaat? :crazy:
happy to know you are progressing, pahari people are simple yet progressive.


tell us some tiger stories mate.. grew up reading corbett.. :)
Are u south indian?
 
How States and Union Territories in India got their name?
April 3, 2013
by Ramandeep Kaur

India is a multilingual country and it is clearly visible in the name of its states, since most of the names are in the states native language. Also many of the states have their origin in Sanskrit words, which was once the main language of India. History, language, rulers etc of a particular regions have also contributed to the names. Check out different state names and their etymology.

Andhra Pradesh – The Sanskrit meaning of Andhra is ‘South’. Tribes in the state were also originally called ‘Andhras’. Maurya officials, Satavahanas were known as Andhra-Bhrutya, which means ‘Officers of South’.

Arunachal Pradesh – Sanskrit meaning of Aruna is ‘dawn lit’ and acha is ‘mountain’.

Assam –Asama is an Indo Aryan word which means ‘uneven’. According to some scholars, ‘Ahoms’ the rulers of Assam who ruled the region for about six centuries may also be the reason for Assam to have this name. Ahom is again derived from the word Asama.

Bihar – The name Bihar has a Sanskrit origin and is derived from the word ‘Vihara’ which means ‘abode’. Vihara is a Pali word. Earlier the state was Abode or Vihara of Buddhist monks. Vihara with time has changed to Bihar. Also there was a popular town with the name of Bihar, that used to be the headquarters of Muslim invaders. This town is now known as Bihar Sharif.

Chhattisgarh – Chattisgarh region was earlier known as Dakshin Kosala. There are no concrete evidences regarding the name. Chhattisgarh has 36 forts so may be this is one of the reasons that state is known as Chhattisgarh as Chhattis means Thirty Six.

Goa – How the name Goa came into existence is not clear. It may have originated from European or Portuguese language. It is also believed that name Goa may have originated from the Sanskrit word ‘go’ which means Cow.

Gujarat – The land of Gujjars. The name Gujarat has been originated from Gujara who in 700 and 800 ruled that region.

Haryana – Etymology of Haryana comes from two words. “Hari” and “ana”, in which “Hari” means ‘Vishnu (or even Lord Krisha, since he was considered a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu) and “ana” means ‘to come’. During Mahabharata Lord Krishna came to this place, so the state got its name from this legend.

Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh is a state of snow capped mountains and many deities.The name has a Sanskrit origin. Hima means ‘snow’ and achal means ‘mountain’.

Jammu and Kashmir – Jammu and Kashmir is a beautiful valley and also known as heaven on earth. But this valley is also known as Valley of Rishi Kashyaya from which comes in the word Kashmir. Origin of the name like most of the states in India is again Sanskrit in which “Ka” means water and “shimeera” means to desiccate. The word Jammu may have originated from the name of its ruler Raja Jambu Lochan.

Jharkhand – Jharkhand is the land of low forest or jhari. In Sanskrit Jhar is ‘forest’ and khand is ‘land’. Jharkhand is also known as ‘Vananchal’.

Karnataka – Word Karnataka has been derived from Karu which means ‘lofty’ and Naad that means ‘land’.

Kerala – Geographically speaking, Kerala originated as an addition of land mass by the sea. Also, there are two theories behind the name Keralam. According to one theory, it may have originated from the word “Chernna” which means added and “alam” that means land. As per the second theory, the name Keralam is associated with the Chera dynasty, rulers of the region from the 1st to 5th century AD. So it may have come from the word “chera alam” which later on began to be known as Keralam. But the second theory is debatable. In Sanskrit Keralam is known as ‘the land added on’.

Madhya Pradesh – Madhya Pradesh is a Hindi version of ‘Central Province’. Before independence, the British used to administer most parts of the state as Central Provinces. After independence, many of these jurisdictions were joined. The Central Province and Berar in 1950 were combined with Makrai and Chattisgarh and now known as ‘Central Province’.

Maharashtra – Maharashtra has also many theories behind its name. In Sanskrit Maharashtra means a ‘great nation’ from a combination of the words “Maha” and “Rashtra”. Maharashtra has also originated from the clan known as rashtrika. This has been described in some of the inscriptions of Ashoka. The word Rashtra may also have been originated from ‘ratta’ or more precisely Rashtrakuta (a dynasty that ruled this part of India from 8th to 10th centuries). Origin of the word Rashtra may have also been from Rathi or Ratha that means ‘Charioteer’.

Manipur – Manipur is the land of Jewels.

Meghalaya – The land of clouds. Meghalaya has Sanskrit origin in which “Megha” means clouds and “Alaya” means abode.

Mizoram – Mizoram has been derived from two words “Mi” that means people and “zo” that means highlander.

Nagaland – The Land of Nagas.

Odisha – Odisha has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Odra Vishaya”or “Odra Desa”. Instead of a meaning, it refers to the Odra people living in central India.

West Bengal – Sanskrit word ‘Vanga’ is the original word for Bengal. From this word, different versions have been originated like Bangalah in Persian, Bangal in Hindi and Bangla in Bengali. Partition of Bengal in 1905 has added the word West to it. In 1947 it was again partitioned and with this West Bengal became a state in India and East Bengal as a separate nation that is now known as Bangladesh.

Punjab – Land of Five Rivers. The word Punjab has originated from the Indo-Iranian word “Punj” that means five and “ab” which means water.

Rajasthan – In Sanskrit the word “Raja” means king. It was earlier known as Rajputana meaning ‘Land of Rajputs’.

Sikkim – Sikkim in Tibetan language is known as Denjong. The name has originated from two words of Limbu orgin in which “Su” means new and “Khyim” means palace.

Tamil Nadu – Tamil means ‘Sweet nectar’ and Nadu in is a Tamilian word which means ‘homeland’ or ‘nation’. Tamil Nadu essentially means, homeland of the Tamils.

Tripura – Tripura is the third smallest state of India. There are many theories behind its name. Tripura may have been derived from Tipra, original inhabitant of the region. The name may have been derived from two Kokborok words “tui and “para” in which “tui” means water and “para” near. The name might have derived from the name of the deity Tripura Sundari at Udaipur. Another theory that suggest the etymology of the state came from the king whose name was Tripur and who ruled the region.

Uttar Pradesh – Uttar Pradesh means ‘Northern Province’.

Uttarakhand – The new state of Uttaranchal means, ‘northern mountains’. The state got separated from Uttar Pradesh in 2000. The name was later changed to Uttarakhand which means ‘Northland’.

Union Territories

Andaman and Nicobar Island – Meaning of Andaman is ‘Island of God’. It original name was ‘Handuman’ (a Sanskrit word) that means ‘Hanuman’. Most likely Nicboar has been derived from the Chola Dynasty and the name given was “Nakkavaram” which means naked man in Tamil.

Chandigarh – This city beautiful got its name from the Chandi temple of Chandi devi who is believed to protect locals.

Delhi – How Delhi got its name is uncertain. Back in the 50th century BC, the city was built by a king of the Mauryan dynasty and most likely he had given his name to the city.The Hindi version of Delhi, “Dhili” means loose and it was used by the Tomara rulers for this city. Also, coins of that period were known as “Dehliwal”. Some scholars also believe that the original name of Delhi was Dhillika.

Lakshadweep – Hundred Thousand Islands.

Pondicherry – Also called Puducherry, this name has been derived from Puducheri which is a Tamil word. “Pudu” means new and “cheri” means settlement.

Then there are two more union territories, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu whose etymology is not known with certainty.

@Rain Man @utraash @levina @Jaat Rock @AUSTERLITZ @anant_s @kaku1 @DJ Crudept @Hindustani78 @GR!FF!N @Manindra @Omega007 @ares @unbiasedopinion @Major Shaitan Singh @khujliwal @uparyupari @saurav @Spectre

Andhra does not mean "south". It means "Low" or "Down". So Andhra Pradesh means "Land Below" or "land down under". (Similar to Australia which means Land in the south)

Maharashtra comes from the "Maha Rashtra" or Great Kingdom of Chalukya and the Rashtrakutas which occupied Maharashtra.

Karnataka comes from the world "karnata" which was used in ancient Hindu texts for the land around Mysore.

It is reasonable to assume that the world Kerala comes from Kera-la or more accurately "kera - Ladayati" i.e. the "Adding land throw up or tossed up". This might refer to the legend of Parasuran who is supposed to have thrown his Axe to reclaim the land from the sea and give it to his descendent (Away from the Kshatriyas). Legend puts Kalari, Ayurveda and Astronomy/Astrology (mathematics) to parushuram. The king of Kerala i.e. "Chera" got his name from Kerala and not the other way around.

This could also be the reason why Brahmins dominated Kerala, unlike other parts of India, make it a madhouse of caste.

Uttarakhand was the name given by the people of northern part of UP that comprised the areas of Garhwal and Kumaon hills. The two neighbouring hill areas demanded a separate state and naming it a movement for garhwal state or kumaon state would not have united the hill people. Almost all the organizations that supported a separate state were agreeable on the name uttarakhand. BJP too supported the creation of new states of Jharkhand and Uttarakhand but they preferred to call it Vananchal and Uttaranchal. It was during their regime that the new states were created and the govt. issued notification in the names of Jharkhand and Uttaranchal. However, people & the organizations that fought for the separate state in the name of Uttarakhand could not relate much with the new term Uttaranchal and demanded the change of name which, if i am not mistaken, the congress govt. readily obliged.

The world "Chal" means playful, not land. "Khand" OTOH means Part. Arunachal means the land where the first light of the sun (dawn) playfully dances.

So Uttarakhand means Northern Part, Jharkhand means "Jhat" "khand" or Forest Part in Sanskrit.

Chal was a wrong Hindi usage, Khand is the correct usage.
 
Last edited:
Yes. We are much better off outside UP. Lots of industries have been set up in the state. Law and order situation is also 100 times better than Ulta Pradesh.

Lol there is no divide between both but yeah govt does do partiality as vacancy open in hills area more often than plains as where is the vote bank is.



lol nothing just ended up in uttrakhand which was faced with lots of rigidness that time but now we are happy because law and order situation improved tremendously where our neighbor cities in UP are lol situation :rofl:
 
Last edited:
Yes. We are much better off outside UP. Lots of industries have been set up in the state. Law and order situation is also 100 times better than Ulta Pradesh.
Exactly and no religious and cast bullshit politics here. also haridwar/rudrpur/dehradun SIDCUL give tons of jobs. Also i want congress to stop being socialist and give land to companies so others also have job.
 
We wanted uttranchal but they made it uttrakhand and lots of thing going on like govt jobs vacancy only happeneing in pahari districts.

[HASHTAG]#justice[/HASHTAG] for plane people of uttrakhand

I am from haridwar distt ;(

hehehe, since they changed the name from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand, we are seeing floods and the state is becoming Khandar. :P Uttaranchal was such a great name.

Most of the jobs and vacancies will be only for Pahari people living above rishiskesh, Ramnagar, and Roorki. Because the tarai region is already developed, and they cannot develop the mountains like tarai due to environmental hazards. hence sustainable development is taking place there. It is tough to every time come down and go back up.
 
hehehe, since they changed the name from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand, we are seeing floods and the state is becoming Khandar. :P Uttaranchal was such a great name.

Most of the jobs and vacancies will be only for Pahari people living above rishiskesh, Ramnagar, and Roorki. Because the tarai region is already developed, and they cannot develop the mountains like tarai due to environmental hazards. hence sustainable development is taking place there. It is tough to every time come down and go back up.


bhai what i want is BJP in UK and UP so we can built industrial coordior between roorkee to merrut then forwarded to ghaziabd to gurgav.

As you can first pahse of 4 way high way is being completed and they reached gurukul so only 20 km away :yahoo:

But congress is noob and not giving land to big factories so they can keep their vote bank intact by giving them govt job selectively. :/
 
bhai what i want is BJP in UK and UP so we can built industrial coordior between roorkee to merrut then forwarded to ghaziabd to gurgav.

As you can first pahse of 4 way high way is being completed and they reached gurukul so only 20 km away :yahoo:

But congress is noob and not giving land to big factories so they can keep their vote bank intact by giving them govt job selectively. :/

I think they will not touch Roorkee for industrial corridor. The 10 Billion project will only touch Gaziabad and Meerut Muzzafarnagar. UK is not included in this I suppose.
 
I think they will not touch Roorkee for industrial corridor. The 10 Billion project will only touch Gaziabad and Meerut Muzzafarnagar. UK is not included in this I suppose.
that's why i said as a wish :/

uttrakhand govt is like socialist. There was a honda plant to be opened here but after 2 year hassale they moved to Rajasthan. :/
 
that's why i said as a wish :/

uttrakhand govt is like socialist. There was a honda plant to be opened here but after 2 year hassale they moved to Rajasthan. :/

UK will not entertain too much of heavy industrial or mechanical kind of industry. The policy there is to entertain service sector and electronic industry basically. But then comes the land issue. People there do not want to give away their land.
 
UK will not entertain too much of heavy industrial or mechanical kind of industry. The policy there is to entertain service sector and electronic industry basically. But then comes the land issue. People there do not want to give away their land.
i will get you land grr if you promise to give 90% job to locals.
 
i will get you land grr if you promise to give 90% job to locals.

That is the problem. People in UK are highly literate and aware and they know that the advantage will go to some one else and not them. If Khanduri had been there then people would have trusted but you see, the current government is hopeless.
 

Latest posts

Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom